Virginia Senate debate: Clinton ex-running mate Kaine, GOP challenger Cao spar on immigration, DEI in military

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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia and Republican challenger Hung Cao clashed on the debate stage Wednesday night on a range of issues including immigration, education and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the military. 

Kaine, who previously served as governor of Virginia and was Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate in 2016, made his case during the hourlong showdown at Norfolk State University on why he should keep his seat in the upper chamber of Congress. The only debate of the campaign focused on national issues and matters that resonate in Virginia and the coastal city of Norfolk, which is home to the country’s largest Navy base.

Cao, a 25-year Navy veteran endorsed by former President Donald Trump, criticized COVID vaccine mandates for service members and the Biden-Harris administration's botched Afghanistan withdrawal when asked about the military’s collective failure to recently meet recruiting goals. He also criticized DEI efforts.

"When you’re using a drag queen to recruit for the Navy, that’s not the people we want," Cao said. "What we need is alpha males and alpha females who are going to rip out their own guts, eat them and ask for seconds. Those are the young men and women that are going to win wars."

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U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia, left, debates Republican challenger Hung Cao at Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia, on Wednesday Oct. 2, 2024. (Nextstar/WAVY-TV via AP)

Kaine, who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee, responded by saying that railing at DEI "is a red herring" and the real challenge is informing more Americans about the benefits of the military when only about 1% of the population serves in the armed forces. "We need to do a better job of talking about the G.I. Bill and other benefits as well as the tremendous leadership training that you get in the military," Kaine said.

Cao, meanwhile, brought up the G.I. Bill when challenging Kaine on student loan forgiveness. The incumbent Democrat had praised the Biden administration for having forgiven "the loans of more than a million public servants in thanks for the public service they provide, whether it's in the military, whether it's teaching, whether it's working as a frontline health professional or working for a local or state government." 

The moderator then posed a question to Cao on how the Republican candidate would ease the burden, noting that the U.S. Department of Education reports more than a million Virginians owe a collective $43 billion in federal student debt as of last October, impacting their ability to contribute to the state's economy.

"If you're struggling to pay for your school, then get a G.I. Bill," Cao said. "That means go out and serve in the military. You'll get a stipend as well as tuition. We need to fix education, and we need to do it now. But here's the thing with people like Senator Kaine, you've been an officer for 30 years in various offices, in the U.S. Senate for 12. Why have you not fixed it yet?" 

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Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., left, is facing a challenge from Republican Hung Cao. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh | J. Scott Applewhite)

Kaine responded by saying Virginia "was named the best state for a child to be raised in the United States" and "the best managed state and the best state to do business" when he was governor from 2006 to 2010. 

"Oh, again, he says what he's going to do," Cao shot back. "Honestly, of the 227 bills that Senator Kaine has proposed, only three of them made it through… That's a 99% failure rate." 

"Check the tape on that. That's completely wrong," Kaine insisted. 

However, Cao retorted, "There's two truths in the world, okay? Never walk into a target store wearing a red shirt and never go against an Asian when it comes to math. Trust me." 

"He's got a 99% failure rate," Cao added. "If I just had 99% failure rate, and I defused bombs, I wouldn't be here right now." 

Hung Cao, left, speaks on stage after an invitation from former President Donald Trump during a rally in Chesapeake, Virginia, on June 28, 2024. (Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot/Tribune News Service)

The moderator also pressed Cao, whose family fled Vietnam during the 1970s, on whether he supports the mass deportation of "all undocumented immigrants." 

"When Vietnam fell, we had nowhere to go, and America had brought us in and my parents waited in line for seven years. We all did for seven years to get our citizenship. The last thing that my dad had [hung] over his bed when he passed away two years ago was his naturalization certificate. I love this country so much that I wrote a blank check – up to including my life – to defend it for 25 years in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and other parts of the world," Cao said. "Here's my thing to anybody who wants to come here, don't ask for an American dream. If you're not willing to be American laws and embrace the American culture, because I did." 

"If you come here illegally, then you need to leave, especially if you're a violent crime person," Cao said, citing new Immigration and Customs Enforcement data provided to lawmakers last week. 

"There are 13,000 convicted murderers and 16,000 convicted rapists that came across under their watch. That's unacceptable. We need to protect Americans every single day," Cao said. 

"If you came here illegally, you’ve basically screwed up the whole system," Cao said. "You can’t jump the line – I mean, you go to Costco and jump the line, what do you think is going to happen? You can’t come here and expect the American dream if you’re not willing to obey the American laws and embrace the American culture."

"Deport anybody that's committing crimes right now," he added. "That's the first thing we need. Secure the border." 

Kaine said he never supported mass amnesty but believes it would "devastate the economy" to deport the 10 million illegal immigrants who crossed the border during the Biden-Harris administration – a figure the moderator cited and the Democratic candidate echoed. He also slammed former President Donald Trump for asking Republicans to oppose the last congressional border deal. 

"We recently negotiated a very tough border deal that would have put a lot of resources on the border to stop illegal immigration," Kaine said. "President Trump asked for Republicans to oppose it, even though it was supported by the border control union."

Former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event on Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 in Walker, Michigan. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Another subject was Trump’s proposal to place more tariffs on imported goods. 

"What we need to do is not tax our industry here," Cao said. "What we need to do is tax other countries bringing in goods."

Kaine criticized Trump’s proposal. "The Trump tariffs would be a massive tax that would cause prices on all of these items that are imported to go up," Kaine said. "On that, I differ strongly from my opponent."

With Kaine’s seat considered solidly Democratic, the race has not seen the kind of dead-heat polling as the national presidential contest or the high-stakes drama of other Senate races such as those in Montana and Ohio, where Democratic incumbents face tough re-election bids, according to The Associated Press. 

Trump has endorsed Cao, and political scientists say his path to victory is narrow given Virginia’s moderate electorate, aversion to Trump in 2020 and Kaine’s salience with voters, according to the AP. 

Kaine won his last race in 2018 by 16 percentage points, although he said he was preparing for a tough race this year. The most recent Republican from Virginia to hold a U.S. Senate seat was the late John Warner, a centrist with an independent streak who last won in 2002.

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Republicans have won statewide offices in Virginia. Glenn Youngkin was elected governor by two points in 2021, along with a Republican lieutenant governor and attorney general.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.